What Is Durkheim Functionalist Theory

The primary concepts within functionalism are collective conscience value consensus social order education family crime and deviance and the media. His work focused on how traditional and modern societies evolved and function.

Reading Structural Functional Theory Sociology

The concept of function.

What is durkheim functionalist theory. The functionalist perspective also called functionalism is one of the major theoretical perspectives in sociology. Emile durkheim is a founding father of structural consensus theory known as functionalism. In 1938 robert merton expanded on durkheim s idea that deviance is an inherent part of a functioning society by developing strain theory also called the anomie theory of deviance which notes that access to the means of achieving socially acceptable goals plays a part in determining whether a person conforms and accepts these goals or rebels and.

It has its origins in the works of emile durkheim who was especially interested in how social order is possible or how society remains relatively stable. Functionalism is basic to durkheim s sociology. As a pioneer he grappled with many of the basic problems posed by this perspective.

As a functionalist émile durkheim s 1858 1917 perspective on society stressed the necessary interconnectivity of all of its elements. Strain theory anomie theory of deviance. A number of key concepts underpin functionalism.

As such durkheim was a major proponent of structural functionalism a foundational perspective in both sociology and anthropology. To durkheim society was greater than the sum of its parts. Like other functionalists he focused on the problem of order and the positive effects of social institutions explaining their existence in terms of their functionally necessary contributions.

This theory looks as society as a whole known in sociology as a macro theory due to not looking at individuals or individual problems but at society as a group or sub cultures. Functionalism has been criticized for attributing human like needs to society. Functionalist sociologists like parsons and durkheim have been concerned with the search for functions that institutions may have in society.

Merton observed that institutions could have both manifest and latent functions. In his view social science should be purely holistic in that sociology should study phenomena attributed to society at large rather than being limited to the specific actions of individuals. Durkheim s body of work as a researcher and theorist focused on how it is that a society can form and function which is another way of saying how it can maintain order and stability see his books titled the division of labor in society and the elementary forms of religious life for this reason he is considered the creator of the functionalist perspective within sociology.

Emile durkheim s work is considered the foundation of functionalist theory in sociology. Emile durkheim was a well known sociologist famous for his views on the structure of society.

Emile Durkheim